


Down the Road

by rainier_day



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Anniversary, Gen, M/M, Mollymauk Tealeaf Lives, Slice of Life, bad metaphors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22208674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainier_day/pseuds/rainier_day
Summary: Twenty-five years ago, he would’ve dismissed all of this as a mere mote of possibility—nothing more than something dreamt up in some distant reality.
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett & Caleb Widogast, Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast, Nott & Caleb Widogast
Comments: 7
Kudos: 93
Collections: Widomauk Winter Gift Exchange 2020





	Down the Road

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Meridas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meridas/gifts).



> WM Winter Exchange for Ali! Hope you like these old socks <3

Sunlight and a gentle sea breeze filters in through the curtains. He opens his eyes to find himself at home, the high ceilings of their bedroom dappled with the reflection of ocean waves. The immediate sense of home and security never cease to catch him by surprise as he stretches his arms with a yawn.

Next to him, there’s a shift and a soft groan. Suddenly, there are arms around his waist and a head tucked under his chin, horns pressing faintly against his collarbone. He glances down and smiles, affection flooding him at the sight of tangled mess of loose curls. “Guten Morgen, Schatz.”

“Gluten mortgage, darling,” comes the muffled reply. The blanket shifts down by his feet, but it quickly stills and is followed by a whine, “My tail. Would you mind…?”

Without a word, Caleb drapes his arms around the tiefling and pulls him closer along the silky sheets. His hands wander down, fingers dancing along his spine until he reaches the tail. Going farther down still, he starts massaging the base of the appendage and works his way to the spade, kneading out the kinks and tightness with practiced ease. 

There’s a quiet hum of appreciation against his chest. “Your hands are magic,” Molly sighs. “I knew I married you for a reason.”

“Just the one?” Caleb asks back teasingly, gently working his way back up the tail, taking care to run his nails lightly over the bend at the base. Molly lets out a shuddery gasp and within moments, his husband is happily purring against him, boneless and content.

“Hmm, maybe more than one,” the tiefling replies, peering up with a grin. The crinkles around his eyes are more prominent now, but the mischievous twinkle in them remains. “But you’ll have to jog my memory. I’m getting old, you know?”

He scoffs and pauses in his ministrations. “I don’t know if your back can handle another reminder, Mollymauk, if you truly are getting that old.”

Molly throws his head back with laughter, wrapping his arms tighter around Caleb’s waist. “Oh, cruel husband! You wound me with your words! I demand compensation for this offense! I demand justice and kisses!”

Chuckling, he tilts his head down for a kiss. “I can only give you one of those things.”

“Hmm, lucky you’re so good at it then,” Molly mutters, draping his arms around Caleb’s neck and going in for another kiss.

“Does that make it two reasons?” he can’t help but ask, his smile widening.

Crimson eyes narrow thoughtfully for a moment. “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll need more kisses to really be sure.”

“Well, if you insist.” Caleb happily runs a hand through the tiefling’s hair and kisses him again. “I would hate for you to make the wrong choice.”

“Hmm, one more then. Just to be _extra_ sure,” Molly hums and then proceeds to pull him in, deepening the kiss.

They spend the next little while exchanging sweet nothings and idle kisses until his internal alarm clock goes off and Caleb reluctantly pulls away. He tries to get out of bed only to be dragged back down by his husband. Laughing, he swats at the arms and tail around his waist. “You are a nuisance, Mollymauk! I have to get ready. You are meeting Yasha and them for lunch, ja?”

“Ja ja, but they’ll understand if I show up a little late because I wanted to stay in bed to spoil my husband,” Molly purrs, pressing kisses down the side of his neck.

“It will be a lot late if we keep this up,” Caleb retorts, even as he turns around to indulge the tiefling. He runs a hand down his husband’s side, settling on his waist for a moment before giving a light pinch. “I don’t think Beauregard will be as forgiving if I keep her waiting.”

Molly squirms and pulls back with a pout. “I bet you could take her. She’s been complaining about her knees lately. Must be from all that leaping off of things to look cool in front of young people. Gods, I sound like an old sock.”

He chuckles and kisses the tip of Molly’s nose. “Maybe, but you are my...old...sock?” Shaking his head, he mutters, “That sounded better in my head.”

“How romantic. You do have a way with words, darling. Just a pair of old socks, the two of us,” Molly says with an exaggerated sigh. “We’ve walked the world and back. We’ve been mended. We’ve been patched. And here we are. A beautiful seaside home for a pair of old smelly socks.”

“Thank you for fixing my metaphor, Schatz. You are a very beautiful old sock and there is no other sock I would rather be paired with,” Caleb says, sitting back up and throwing the covers off. “But speaking of smelly, a shower wouldn’t be a bad idea, actually.”

“You’re a pretty cute sock yourself, Mister Caleb. I’ll be sure to let Jester know you showered this morning. She’ll be so proud.” Rolling onto his stomach, the tiefling concedes, “I guess I should get out of bed soon too. Big day ahead. We’ll see each other for dinner?”

He nods, leaning in for one last kiss. “Of course. I would not miss it for the world, Schatz.”

\--

They had gotten married on a whim—more of a moment of desperation followed by a rush of fiery passion after a hard battle. Even in his most fanciful moments, Caleb had only briefly entertained the idea and never seriously. Never with intent or expectation. 

So when he opened his eyes, bloodied and battered, and saw Molly looking down at him with heartbreaking concern despite the broken rib and arrows protruding from his back, the sudden thought of ‘life would be unbearably empty without this ridiculous circus man’ came as a surprise. And the proposal that came out of his mouth caught them both even more off guard—though not as much as the sound Jester made when she heard him.

_Marry me._

The words came so naturally he couldn’t be sure they were his. 

Molly smiled quizzically at him then and said yes but then promptly coughed out blood and told him to ask again the next day when they were both healthy and whole. Just to be sure. So Caleb jostled him awake before dawn to ask again and earned himself the sweetest laughter and an armful of tiefling whispering _yes, yes, yes_ _!_

Intentional or not, 25 years have passed since and Caleb still doesn’t understand how he managed to get so lucky. Settling down in Nicodranas with the rest of the Mighty Nein several years ago, they opted to stay together and away from any further Empire-Dynasty disasters.

With the help of Yussa, Caleb started a small academy of magic with occasional guest tutors from around the globe. It didn’t take very long for his school to catch the notice of the nobility across the continent and soon, he found himself turning down the affluent for those with promise and passion. While he finally fulfilled that lifelong dream of his, Molly reunited with Ornna, Bo, and Toya. With the Ruby of the Sea’s recommendation before she retired from the business, they now have weekly shows scheduled at the Lavish Chateau.

For the last 25 years, he’s had so many privileges his younger self never would’ve dreamed of. Waking up next to Mollymauk Tealeaf, alive and well again? Going out, surrounded by a family he never dared hoped to have? Laughing until his stomach hurts and kissing his husband without fear of it being used against him? Twenty-five years ago, he would’ve dismissed all of this as a mere mote of possibility—nothing more than some wistful thing dreamt up in some distant reality.

“I’m going to leave if you keep staring off into the distance all dreamily like that.”

He turns to look at Beau and retorts, “I never complain when you do it.”

“Yeah, Beau, let Caleb daydream about his husband if he wants to,” Nott—no, Veth snipes. It doesn’t have the same effect without the jagged teeth and goblin eyes, but the halfling makes it work.

The Expositor crosses her arms, streaks of grey and brown tied back in her usual bun. There are more scars now, many faded with time, but it’s the fresh ones she seems most proud of if the way she’s deliberately crossing her arms to show them off is any indication. Training her latest pupil, she had told them with a laugh. A troublesome child with too much bark _and_ bite but also a fiery passion to make things right with an equally fiery temper. “I thought we were here to plan an anniversary surprise. You even brought Caduceus here.”

The firbolg smiles and takes a sip of his tea. His hair has returned to its usual pink and of all the Mighty Nein, he’s the only one who didn’t stay in Nicodranas, opting instead to go back home to tend to the Blooming Grove with his returned family. Despite the years, Caduceus doesn’t appear to have aged very much, but being reunited with his remaining siblings seems to have brought out a mischievousness in him that Caleb had only ever seen in glimpses. “Being together is nice. It’s great seeing everyone again. And an anniversary too, how exciting it is to be a part of this. I’m glad I can be here to help.”

“Yeah, but you know our goal is to beat the other team, right?” Beau presses. “We’ve only got a week and Molly’s got Jester on his team _and_ he’s Molly so he’s already at an advantage. We should’ve taken him out.”

“Beauregard, please do not take my husband out in any sense of the phrase,” Caleb mutters dryly.

“C’mon, Y’got-no-regard! He’s a married man and you are very _not_ into men the last I checked,” Veth adds in the same tone.

She makes a terrible face and promptly flips them both off. “I remember when you two used to be funny.” 

“I have never been funny,” Caleb retorts just as Veth chimes in, “I’m hilarious!”

Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Beau sighs, “Fine. I give up. Let’s hear it, Widogast. You probably have a plan already, don’t you? A 25th anniversary doesn’t just creep up on someone like you.”

But it did. Even with his keen mind, it managed to creep up on him through peaceful days and bitter fights. How the years snuck by despite his constant awareness is still beyond him. 

Rubbing the back of his neck, Caleb mutters, “You know, we never actually had a wedding ceremony. We were engaged and married the same night. We do not even have rings and still 25 years went by.”

Beau nods slowly. “I think I see where you’re going with this. But now that you mention it, this just kind of happened, didn’t it? That’s weird ‘cause it kind of feels like it’s just always been like this, y’know?”

Caleb smiles, running a hand through his hair. “I know exactly what you mean, Beauregard.” It’s a wonder why he took so long to propose when he can scarcely imagine a life without Molly now.

“Hey,” she says.

“Ja?”

Clapping him on the arm, Beauregard rubs her nose and mutters, “I’m happy for you, Caleb. The both of you.”

“Thank you. I am very glad you are here for this,” he replies sincerely. Then, turning, he asks, “Caduceus, how much do you know about the Ceremony spell?”

\--

The day of the anniversary descends upon them far faster than anticipated. Having been called in for a magical emergency in the morning, Caleb rushes down the street to meet Molly at their rendezvous point. As colourful as ever, he has no trouble spotting the tiefling idly examining baubles and engaging in light banter with the vendor. Even a scene as simple as this stirs something deep in his heart and steals his breath away. Smiling, he calls out, “Mollymauk Tealeaf, I hope I did not keep you waiting.”

Molly quickly tips the gnome a gold coin for the delightful conversation and turns around, throwing his arms in the air. “Ah, there are you, darling. I’ve been waiting absolute _lifetimes_ for you.”

He scoffs and tries to hide his laughter. “I suppose I’ll have to find a way to make it up to you.”

Skipping over despite the streaks of silvery grey in his hair, Molly links their arms together with a pleased grin. “I expect nothing less. How’s your student? Everything copacetic? You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.”

Caleb returns the smile and leans in for a kiss. “Ja, she was trying to use a spell to light the stove and went a little too far. The house is still standing.”

They walk down the street and find a balcony table at a tavern overlooking the ocean for brunch. Molly goes ahead and orders their usual before turning back to him. “And this is your favourite student, yes?”

It’s true and they both know it, but he’s not supposed to admit to it in public so he arches a brow and shakes his head. “I will have you know that I treat all my students the same. This one is just...fiery and eager to please. She reminds me a little of myself so I cannot help but worry about her.”

Molly hums, playing along. “Well, it’s a good thing she’s got the kindest and most handsome and amazing wizard in the world as her mentor. I’m sure she’ll be amazing if she’s even a tiny bit like you.”

“Thank you for the kind words but your judgement may not be so sound, Schatz. In fact, I have reason to believe your opinion is very skewed, actually,” Caleb teases with a pointed smile.

“That’s true. I guess I’m a _little_ partial to you,” the tiefling returns, tail wrapping daintily around his leg just as their meals arrive.

He lets out a huff. “At least you were partial enough to marry this stuffy old sock.” Taking a sip of his tea, Caleb glances out past the balcony railings and out to the clear blue of the ocean wistfully. “Can you believe it has been 25 years? Did you ever think we would get here?”

A smile tugs at his husband’s lips. “There were moments of doubt. Not so much about us, darling, but just making it out alive in general, you know? I mean, I was already off to a pretty rough start on the staying alive front and you were awfully squishy.”

Caleb nods and reaches across the table to lace their fingers together. “I understand that. I never once dreamt we would get here—that _I_ would get this far and have all of this. With you. Sometimes it feels like I will wake up and find myself back in Rexxentrum, still locked away and Trent still alive.”

There’s a reassuring squeeze in response. “Good thing he’s very, _very_ dead or we’d just have to kill him again.” He makes a thoughtful noise. “I get it though. Too much has happened for this to _not_ feel like a dream. Sometimes it feels like I’ll wake up and find myself six feet under again,” Molly admits. But then he smiles. “It’s not all bad though. On occasion, I like to think about all the horribly sappy things you’d say to bring me back. ‘Mister Mollymauk, I love you so much and you’re still so sexy even after all these years!’“

The impression is terrible and works a laugh out of him. “You have been spending too much time with Jester.”

“That is a very real possibility. _But_ , I’ll also have you know that we have a twelve-step plan to break you out of any jail or institution. So rest assured, you’ll never be without us for too long,” Molly tells him. “Just make sure you stay clear of any windows and duck when you hear ‘Fluffernutter’.”

“Gods,” he laughs more openly this time, “we’d have to leave the continent.”

Molly grins and steals another kiss. “Anything for you, Mister Caleb. I’m sure Tal’Dorei would be happy to have us. Maybe we’ll finally get to meet the council.”

_“Cay-leb, it’s Jester! We’re all done so come down to the beach! You’re going to be so surprised! Oh, are you two fucking? Also, happy—”_

Shaking his head fondly, he replies, “We are having brunch, Jester. We will be there shortly, danke.” Turning back to his husband, he says, “Enough reminiscing for now, Mister Mollymauk. I believe the main event is ready for us.”

“Is it now? This was supposed to be a competition between us, you know? I can’t believe our _friends_ took it into their own hands to set this up. And here I was so sure I’d have you beat,” Molly complains half-heartedly.

Caleb scoffs. “Beat? That is a very bold statement. There may be surprises yet. But we should go see what they have done.”

“I’m probably going to spend the rest of the day trying to find all the dicks Jester hid because you _know_ there’ll be secret dicks.” Leaving far too much money on the table, Molly huffs and pushes himself out of his seat. “Where’s it at anyway?”

“Come, Mister Mollymauk, it is not too far from here.” Taking his hand, he leads the tiefling back up the street toward an empty stretch of beach Beau had scouted out for him before. Seagulls soar through the air and the wind brings about the warm sea breeze, filling him with a faint buzz of anticipation. “Are you ready?”

The tiefling tightens his grip and nods. “With you here? For anything.”

Turning the corner, they walk out to a lookout point to see the beach setup. There are chairs set up and flowers sprouting from the sand, arranged to form an aisle. The decorations are an array of greenery and lights and streamers with Jester, Caduceus, and Veth putting up the final touches—with Luc firing off an impromptu streamer gun his mother created, much to his father and his partner’s concern. To the side, he sees Fjord and Yasha helping Beau unload the vast quantities of wine she ordered from her family estate. And all around, he sees the friends they’ve made along the way. 

Shakäste is talking to Nila and Keg while Twiggy shares her chocolate with Calianna. Pumat Prime is talking animatedly with Orly while Yussa and Essek are in a heated discussion of the merit of certain magical properties off to the side. Molly’s troupe is there with Bryce and Reani and Caleb’s other colleagues seem to be entertaining Allura and her wife.

Molly inhales sharply next to him as he takes in the scene. “That’s an awful lot of people. I didn’t think...this is beautiful. They did a good job.”

“They did, but there is one more thing. Mollymauk Tealeaf, husband,” Caleb starts, unable to keep the smile off his face as he pulls a ring out of his pocket. It’s a simple platinum band with the night sky etched into it and jewels set into the moon and stars. “You said you were ready for anything. How about the rest of our lives?”

There’s a moment of stunned silence and then a delighted laugh. Molly lets go of his hand and gets down on one knee. “What a coincidence, husband, I had the same idea.” He pulls out a ring of his own and grins. Unlike Caleb’s design, his ring is brilliant gold with beautiful swirls of magical runes set into it. “Caleb Widogast, will you continue making me the happiest person twice alive?”

From the beach, he can hear Jester shrieking with excitement and Beau shouting, “Say yes!”

Molly turns to their direction and shouts back, “I’ve been saying yes for 25 years now!” Then he looks up and grins. “And I have every intention of saying yes for at least another 25 years more. What about you, Caleb?”

Suddenly choking up, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to force the tears back. When he opens them again, with the lump still in his throat, he smiles and whispers, “Ever since you came back into my life, it has been fuller than I know what to do with.” Helping the tiefling back up onto his feet, Caleb pulls him in for a kiss. “Mollymauk Tealeaf, you have me for life.”

Cheers erupt from the beach as they exchange rings and Molly laughs and kisses him again for good measure. “Looks like it’s time to face the horde. You ready, darling?”

He wraps an arm around the tiefling’s waist and nods. “With you here? For anything.”

**Author's Note:**

> Caleb's ring is enchanted so that the brightest star will always guide Molly home to him because that's what Molly claimed he did to find them after he came back.
> 
> Molly's ring is enchanted to give Caleb advantage against any spell that affects the mind because he knows despite it all, Caleb still worries.


End file.
